Magic Aptitude Test

Winter City, Lucas Province, in the northern reaches of the Roland Empire.

The cold wind howls, and heavy snow descends.

Winter has arrived in Winter City, making it colder than usual. Pedestrians on the streets are few, moving with hurried steps. Most shops lining the roads have their doors tightly shut, with only a sliver of light leaking through the cracks.

Amidst this silence, Holy Radiance Road, where the Church of Light is located, stands out as an exception.

Though it is only early morning, a crowd has already gathered at the entrance of the Church of Light. The square in front of the church is packed with carriages, and nobles dressed in fine attire pull back their curtains to exchange greetings with one another.

At the end of Holy Radiance Road, near the edge of the square, two figures—one tall and one short—appear, walking quickly toward the Church of Light, looking travel-worn.

Some nobles near the edge of the square notice the approaching pair. Glancing at their patched clothing, a trace of disdain appears in their eyes. They whisper mocking remarks to each other, leaving behind comments like "country bumpkins are truly uncivilized," before looking away, no longer paying them any mind.

Reo Douglas notices the gazes of the surrounding nobles. His brow furrows, and he subconsciously blocks Lin En Douglas behind him, shielding him from the strange looks.

Protected behind Reo, Lin En notices his action. His bright eyes flicker slightly, and he follows Reo in silence. The two eventually stop at the southeast corner of the square.

In the square, the southeast corner where Lin En stands is clearly divided into two circles: one is the circle of nobles in fine clothes talking loudly, and the other consists of ordinary commoners like Lin En and Reo, who are reserved and dressed in simple attire.

"Don't lower yourself to their level," Reo says in a low voice, seemingly worried about Lin En, shortly after they stop.

Lin En looks up, his gaze sweeping over the group of nobles, and he smiles slightly. "Father, I naturally won't lower myself to their level."

After a brief exchange, the two put the matter behind them. Lin En shifts his focus to the magic aptitude test about to begin at the Church of Light.

Watching the two soldiers in silver-white armor at the church entrance, fragments of the common knowledge of the continent that Reo had taught him flash through Lin En's mind.

"...The Saint Realm, the Roland Emperor who is suspected to be a god... the Church of Light, the Church of Darkness, the seven elements, the four laws... mages, warriors..."

Recalling Reo's introduction, Lin En feels a bit dazed. Although it is hard to believe, he knows that he has most likely transmigrated into the Coiling Dragon World.

On the other side, under the guidance of a priest, the magic test officially begins. The people in the square enter the hall inside the church one by one in an orderly fashion.

Inside the church hall, a massive crystal chandelier emits a bright glow. The floor is paved with square marble tiles, which cast a soft halo under the light.

In the center of the hall, a priest in a black robe says in a loud voice, "Those taking the magic test, come to me first to register. When participating in the test, come one by one. Parents and relatives, wait to the side; you are not allowed to interfere with the testing process."

"Lin En, this is the registration fee for the test. Relax, don't put too much pressure on yourself. Even if you fail, it doesn't matter; I can still afford this much," Reo says earnestly.

"Mm." Lin En takes the ten gold coins required for the registration fee, takes a deep breath, nods with a serious expression, and heads toward the black-robed priest to register.

Under the priest's direction, a long line of youths is quickly formed.

At the very front of the line is a complex hexagonal magic array. Having read the original work, Lin En knows that this must be the magic array mentioned in the book for testing spiritual energy. As for the crystal ball in front of the array, it should be used to test elemental affinity.

"Next."

At the front of the line, the black-robed priest points to the crystal ball and says to the eight or nine-year-old boy at the head of the line, "Place your hand on it and test your elemental affinity."

At the priest's signal, the boy nervously raises his palm. As it makes contact with the crystal ball, the entire sphere begins to emit a hazy blue light, mixed with a faint, barely perceptible white glow.

"Age nine. Elemental affinity: water-type medium, light-type low. Now, enter the magic array and begin testing your spiritual energy," the black-robed priest says, looking down at the documents in his hand.

"Little one, spiritual energy is the foundation of becoming a mage and a manifestation of potential. It is the most important thing. During the following test, try your best to hold on; don't kneel or collapse easily," the priest warns, speaking loudly enough for the testers waiting in line behind to hear.

Hearing the priest's words, a flash of light passes through Lin En's eyes. Whether I am a transmigrator or someone who has awakened past-life memories, my soul strength should be quite good. Spiritual energy likely won't be a problem; the focus should be on elemental affinity.

According to the original work, if elemental affinity reaches medium or higher, and spiritual energy meets the standard, one is qualified to enter a general magic academy to become a mage. If one has superior elemental affinity combined with decent spiritual energy, they can be called a genius, and might even be able to use that to waive the high tuition fees of the magic academy.

Thinking of this, Lin En's eyes grow brighter. As a transmigrator, his family background in this life is not great. Compared to those nobles who are also taking the test but come from wealthy families, Lin En faces many more problems.

Lin En's father, Reo, is only a fourth-rank warrior and a hunter, while his mother, Irina, is just an ordinary person. The couple works hard all year, yet they can barely save a dozen gold coins.

Sending Lin En to take the magic test is something they can barely afford by gritting their teeth, but faced with the tuition fees of the magic academy, which start at hundreds of gold coins, Reo, as a father, can only express his helplessness.

...As Lin En ponders, the testing in front proceeds step by step.

"Just a little bit more... The spiritual energy is four times that of his peers. Sigh!" The boy in the magic array suddenly collapses. The black-robed priest shakes his head in disappointment, a look of regret on his face.

To become a mage, one's spiritual energy must reach five times that of their peers. The boy reached four times—only a one-fold difference—but that one-fold difference is the distance between heaven and hell.

Five times makes one a noble mage; four times means one can only become a "crude" warrior.

"Spiritual energy does not meet the standard. There is no possibility of becoming a mage," the priest announces. The magic array stops running, and the boy leaves with a dejected expression.

One youth after another begins the test. Not a single one of the first ten meets the standard, causing the look of anticipation on the priest's face to gradually fade.

"Unqualified. Next." Watching yet another boy collapse in the magic array, whose endurance was even worse than the last, the priest shakes his head and turns his gaze to Lin En, who is next in line.